Is Chicago overrun with transplants? (Evanston, Madison: real estate, rentals, to live)

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Oh, then I don't know people from Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana? You must know a few yourself. I reckon they don't idle at CityData.

Of course I know people from the South that have migrated to the Chicago area.
I think just about everyone does.


I was making a general statement that people from other states migrate to the area.

The states I mentioned were actual people within the last month or so that I remember coming onto City Data asking for advice on moving issues.

My intent was to discuss in recent months I remembered people from these sates being brought up.

Certainly was not implying the states you mentioned are not in the mix.
Sorry if you took it the wrong way.

[snoylekim]

Yes, we were speculating when the first 'snorkel' day would be this year ..you know, the first mid 40 -50 morning, when breath is visible and the 'Michigan Mountains' are over the lake ..came a little early, but I didn't see to many hoods snorkeled ... a few mittens and gloves here and there...
To other posters credits, Hypothermia is possible in 40 - 50 degree weather if someone is severely underdressed and outdoors for a bit , especially if one is out of the sunlight or if the weather turns wet ...so , for all you flip-flops and shorts folks , if you go for that look with chilly, wet weather, ..you can expect to feel the coldest chill you've ever felt , until you get warm and dry !!

[Swandaddy]

I like the balance of the four season here. Summer is just about perfect. Spring and fall are just gorgeous too. I just have problems when the seasons change, especially when it first cools down, a come the end of summer highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 60s to lower 70s have become very comfortable to me. Conversely, when spring comes I am thankful for the lake breeze/cooler springs b/c by then I'm used to sweatshirts and jackets, and am not ready to take them off.

[Kamms]

The non-natives live, of course, from the south loop to up north along the drive...but within the ranks of the ''natives'' in these areas there are the ''natives'' from Joliet, Buffalo Grove, Wheaton, St. Charles etc...mixed bag in meeting people born and raised in the City of Chicago in these areas...tons of Illinois people though.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

When I lived there, everyone seemed to be from either Illinois or a surrounding state. Excluding immigrants. You would think there would be more people from all the country given the population, but there are not. Very small percent of residents from all over the country, compared to Dallas, or even Tampa. Probably the weather, no one wants to pay that much to live in Siberia 8 months out of the year.

There is this interesting phenomenon in Chicago, lots of immigrants end up there, but very few people from other parts of the country, excluding midwest/great lakes region.

Where did you live?? The Chicago area is packed with people from around the Midwest.

As far as Dallas and Tampa, those cities are hardly known for amazing weather.

As far as siberia 8 months of the year makes me wonder if you actually live in the midwest...sounds like something someone from southern Georgia would say about "the midwest".

[paytonc]

Too many transplants? Cities have always been highly transient. Without transplants, the city would wither and die as the natives all drift away. Even in 1860, before the dang Civil War and just over 20 years after the city was incorporated, over half of Chicagoans were foreign-born. A century ago, Chicago was the biggest boomtown in history, quadrupling its population in 30 years; the world then marveled at its appetite for "transplants" much as we marvel today at burgeoning cities like Lagos or Shanghai.

The primary audience of this forum is "transplants" looking for some local advice. Obviously, the audience here is a skewed sample.

Originally Posted by Attrill

No "real Chicagoan" should be wearing flip flops, no matter what the temp is.

Word. Too much glass/unmentionables on the sidewalks.

[aqua0]

I used to live in Chicago and was one of those people who literally had to experience freezing temps before I would be forced to wear socks, a scarf, gloves, and a long coat.

Now I live in Maui, Hawaii and when I first moved here, I sweated like crazy and broke out in hives. My body was so used to producing heat. I perspired even though the one bedroom I lived in was cool (no a/c needed). Then something drastically changed. My body adapted. Now it's over a decade in Hawaii and I DO NOT SWEAT anymore. I can enter a hot car without opening the windows and stay dry. I can eat a hot soup in 85 degree weather and not feel hot. In fact, this past winter when it rained a lot and was windy, the temp went down to 60 degrees and I had the sniffles, wore a jacket, and felt like it was freezing. I had to take super hot showers to warm up. It was crazy.

I can't think of a way to get my body back to the way it was, robust and immune to the cold -- except to move back to a cold climate like Chicago and force my body to adapt. The idea of it sort of frightens me though. If I'm sneezing and feeling cold here, I don't think I would stand a chance there. Plus, it took me a decade to transition from immunity to cold to immunity to heat. So I'd have to endure over 10 yrs of Chicago deep freeze to train my body....no thanks.

What is also funny to me is watching all the snowbirds (tourists from cold climates) visit Maui during the winter months. They walk around in bikinis or swimshorts even when it is cloudy and rainy and 40-60 degrees, because they are on vacation and damn it they have to prove it. I do see a few of them who reluctantly put on a light jacket or long sleeve shirt because well, they feel a bit cold.

Of course the tourists laugh at me because I'm all bundled up during winter here. I explain to them what happened and they don't seem to understand. Anyway, our bodies do adjust -- sometimes overly much as in my case.

[Duluth07]

Whether it's Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix; any of these cities have a lot of affluence, opportunities and Fortune 500 companies which are ripe for new MBA grads who are seeing internships. It used to be that you had to 'pay your dues' living in a town like Grand Forks or Sioux Falls for a while before getting lucky enough to move to one of the big times - but now a lot of new grads are headed right for these cities that have money. When I lived in Minneapolis, I don't think I met more than five people who were even from Minnesota originally - they were just there for the 3M internship or to get two years' experience at some terrific law firm. Which is fine. I mean, right now, just getting that internship is a lucky thing. The job is the hard part, especially since you're no longer just competing with other recent grads - now you're competing with recent grads, very high-skilled folks with 20+ years experience who've been laid off, immigrants who have incredible academic and employment backgrounds...

I guess being overrun with transplants isn't such a bad thing. In Chicago I've been lucky enough where, if I'm not quite sure where I'm going, people are generally nice enough to guide me onto the right train, etc...as far as an influx of educated, skilled professionals, that's a great thing. Detroit would love to trade places with Chicago anyday.

[Lorielicious]

Originally Posted by paytonc

Too many transplants? Cities have always been highly transient. Without transplants, the city would wither and die as the natives all drift away.

Hear, hear! I'm from Los Angeles, lived in the SF Bay Area, and now live here in Chicago. There are tons of transplants in these towns, yet no shortage of attitude from natives about people invading their territory. But that's what's so dynamic about big cities; they're constantly in flux, always moving, always shedding people going on to the next thing, but still always attracting others. That's what makes these places interesting to live. It's when you go to some place like, say, Duluth, MN where the same people will live in the same place ten years after they're dead that you realize that new people and the vibrancy that draws them there is what makes large cities great.

Originally Posted by Duluth07

Whether it's Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix; any of these cities have a lot of affluence, opportunities and Fortune 500 companies which are ripe for new MBA grads who are seeing internships. It used to be that you had to 'pay your dues' living in a town like Grand Forks or Sioux Falls for a while before getting lucky enough to move to one of the big times - but now a lot of new grads are headed right for these cities that have money. When I lived in Minneapolis, I don't think I met more than five people who were even from Minnesota originally - they were just there for the 3M internship or to get two years' experience at some terrific law firm.

Oh yeah, Minnesota is the big time! Kids from San Diego save up their dimes eager for the next Greyhound to Minneapolis. Living the dream.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

Hear, hear! I'm from Los Angeles, lived in the SF Bay Area, and now live here in Chicago. There are tons of transplants in these towns, yet no shortage of attitude from natives about people invading their territory. But that's what's so dynamic about big cities; they're constantly in flux, always moving, always shedding people going on to the next thing, but still always attracting others. That's what makes these places interesting to live. It's when you go to some place like, say, Duluth, MN where the same people will live in the same place ten years after they're dead that you realize that new people and the vibrancy that draws them there is what makes large cities great.

Oh yeah, Minnesota is the big time! Kids from San Diego save up their dimes eager for the next Greyhound to Minneapolis. Living the dream.

Sarcasm aside, a good post; there's no reason for someone to languish in Duluth when bigger and better things await in Minneapolis or Chicago; you don't get "bonus" points for making sacrifices while staying put in a small city..

BTW, Minneapolis is actually a great place to live, and has enjoyed a solid reputation for many years..